Forgotten
by CL924
Summary: Lucy Heartfila was an average psychiatrist and a writer until a group of unknown people kidnapped her that has her falling headfirst into a plan to stop a group of Elementals from destroying the world. Everything ultimately depends on her and her friends' ability to gather the twelve royalties of the magic realm and summon the Queen of time. Lucy will then remembered The Forgotten.
1. Big blue cat

Lucy Heartfilia often wondered what goes on the mind of a person before they commits suicide.

What was the exact feeling they were having before they jumped? Regret, anger, loneliness, sorrow? Does the air felt different? What are their thoughts while they cut their wrists? Do their heart pounded so fast they can't breathe? Do they search for the last pull of help? Did it scared them while they waited for the drugs they ate to work? How does it feel, waiting yourself to die? The question is limitless and the answers are infinite.

Every answers is disturbing.

But not to Lucy, never to Lucy.

She was a writer and a psychology graduate, and her mind is opened for all things. She often wondered, staring particularly at nothing when she do, and now she did as she sat at the roofed walkway at the institution of Fairy Tail Hospital. She was hoping to talk to one of the patient of the said organization and was glad they didn't declined her request. It maybe helps that her best friend works there as a psychiatrist and assured the institution that she has enough experience and wouldn't messed up.

She was a sight even though she only wear a plain white shirt, jeans and sandals. Often, people threw her curious glances but no one dared to approach her. It was because of the far away looked on her face. It was like to people who didn't know her she had a glass wall surrounding her, thin, ice-cold, and impenetrable.

She had gone to Blue Pegasus and graduated magna cum laude. She was a psychiatrist, and one of the foremost experts in trauma in people. She had extensive experience with schizophrenic and bipolar. She worked with them and their families, often with excellent results. She had been part of the consulting team for the children in Lamia Scale after the school shooting, and had advised the Magnolia public schools.

She was an expert in her field, and appropriately admired and acknowledged by her peers, but when she reached her twenty-fifth birthday, she learned it wasn't enough. She found what she was looking for in writing psychology books and left her job. Now she was contented. Three years after, she had written two highly respected books for laymen, about the effect of trauma on young children.

And now she was interested of the mind of a suicidal human being.

Her phone ringed. It was a call she'd been waiting. "Hi, Levy," she said into the phone, and relaxed in her chair. The marveling demeanor she kept always whenever she writes vanished when she talked to her. In spite the fact that she left the psychology world, they were good friends, and had stayed very close. "Where are you now?"

"I have a patient five minutes from now. I just called to remind you. Is it okay to wait?" A vision of Levy's office instantly flash into her head. She hadn't seen it in three years. It was one of the many places she missed when she left her work.

"Of course, it's okay. Who am I to complain anyway?"

"Don't guilt me, Lu-chan."

She smiled at the phone and can't help but laughed at the whiny tone of her voice. Even in twenty-eight, three diplomas, and a one published book about troubled teenagers, Levy Mcgarden is still a kid. "It's really okay. I'll just come by your office at four. Is that okay?"

"Of course, it's okay. Who am I to complain anyway?"

She laughed at her answer and hanged up. Levy and Lucy are friends since Gajeel introduced them to each other. Gajeel is Lucy's bestfriend and Levy's boyfriend. They'd been going out for almost two years and Lucy was happy for them. Gajeel has been her best bud since college. They both study psychology and have the same specialties, and she often teased Gajeel that he was a Bipolar himself, which would be snarled back with an insult.

She smiled at the air. That was the days. She and Gajeel are the most mismatched best friends in the history. She was neat, he was sloppy. He liked violence, she detest it. She like loved stories and such and he thinks she's weird for liking them.

It was ironic when Gajeel found the girl for him before her. She teased him endlessly about it, and she still was whenever they see each other or whenever she visited his place.

She was happy when she met Levy. She was every girl could ask for a best friend. They both loved books, shopping and writing. Levy inspired her to write and she was thankful for her because without her she wouldn't find what she was looking for.

She was grateful to have this two wonderful people in her life. Even though both of her parents died when she was eighteen, she didn't let herself hate the world. Instead she strived hard to find the happiness she know her parents want for her.

But sometimes, like right now, when the air is quiet and the clouds are fascinating in the sky, she wondered about her feelings. She was content, yes, she have everything she wished for. She was happy.

But she can't shake the feeling that something is missing.

It was odd, it was ridiculous, but she felt it and it was there, in her heart and in the back of her mind. Her memories of childhood is blurry. No one knows about her past, even the orphanage that keep her. She was adopted and her new parents explained that she suffered amnesia from trauma. It was her urge, when she was grown enough, that she'd study psychology and maybe, _just maybe,_ she can cure herself and have her memories back.

Sadly, it didn't happened. She lost hoped and she told herself to be satisfied and she was. She just wished the feeling of emptiness in that part of her heart shake off.

She was sitting there, her mind elsewhere, when suddenly a big blue cat snatched her papers away from her hands and run. She stared at its running form for a moment, her mind blank, then her eyes went wide and she was running after it. "Hey! Come back here! That's mine!"

The blue cat went left and right, across the infinite fields and left again and disappeared. As fast as she could, she ran along the building, sailing over plants, and leaping over obstacles and pushing away people in her path. She never run this fast in her life and now she knew that her book's life depended on it. The cat turned right at the corner and disappeared again as she continued to run without stopping for breath or for anything. She knew exactly what she was doing and where she was going—or, in this case, where the cat was going.

If only that dumb cat stopped running.

Lucy found the cat beside the enormous Sakura tree. She was fuming, the cat drained the energy out of her. She recognizes the cat was smarter than others, like it was trained to be, but she wasn't certain what she'd been expecting. The cat had an owner.

She paused, studying the guy who was sprawled on the ground beside the Sakura tree. About the age as me, Lucy decided. Young, slim, and had an oddly pink hair. He had a white scarf wrapped around his neck, which is weird since it was blistering hot day in summer. He was wide awake, staring at the sky, and had his one arm behind his head to support it.

Mechanically he stroke the blue cat's fur behind its ear.

"Excuse me."

He glanced at her. His eyes surprised her. They were very light, very clear, and green. Somehow they were at odds with his face and his coloring—until you noticed how direct they were, and how carefully they watched, as if he were a man who measured everything and everyone.

"Yeah?"

"Is the blue cat yours?" She gestured at the blue cat resting on his lap, but the guy continued to look at her face, not the cat. The stare anxious her for some reason. "He steal my papers."

"Happy is not a thief." He sat. He shook his head, and dusted himself off Sakura petals that had fallen to him. He gave her a-you're-weird-look. "He was just playing with you."

"It would help if he didn't do that again—"

"Did you steal it, Happy?" The guy asked the cat, which annoyed Lucy since he cut her off, the cat purred in response. He glance up at her again. "He said, he didn't. Would you blame me if I believe him over you? He's been my companion for years."

"Oh? So you know cat-language then?" She remarked sarcastically, her eyes rolling.

To her irritation the guy was unmoved by her sarcasm. "I can't help it if I'm awesome."

"Awesome? By dyeing his cat blue?" The cat meowed at her and she told herself not to be annoyed by just a stupid big fat cat. Laughter was now burning in his eyes and she palmed her forehead. "Please, don't tell me he just agreed."

"Actually, he just told you you're weird."

"Says the guy who dyed his cat blue."

"At least I didn't accuse strangers of stealing."

Annoyance came back with a vengeance. She forced herself to smile. "My papers were clearly _stolen_ by your cat. I hope you don't tell him to. That papers are really important. Can you give it me, please?" She asked with gritted teeth. He was beginning to irritate her too.

Without interest, the guy grabbed her papers up from the cat's mouth. To her chagrin, his eyes skimmed the paper. She resist the urge to snatch the paper away from his prying eyes. "You're a writer."

"Yes, I am. Now can you give my papers back to me?" She held out her hand but he ignored it. He glanced up at her with interest instead.

"Why are you wondering about suicide-attempters patient?"

"It was none of your business."

He smiled at her, pushing the boundaries of her insanity because that was what he'd done best. "You don't want your papers then?"

"I want it." The smile made him look like a little boy, one capable of all sorts of shenanigans and mischief. She didn't know what she preferred, his serious stare or his disarming smile. "I've come a long way to get that piece of thing. I want that and badly and _right now_."

His smile tilted a few degrees into something closer to a sneer. Impatient little woman, he thought. The kind of woman he liked to played pranks to. "What if I don't want to give it to you?" The question gave anger in her eyes and gave him mirth. "Doesn't writers believe in the sayings? Finders, keepers."

"I don't believe in such sayings."

"Oh?"

"And I don't believe you have the right to hold on to my paper either." Though she would have preferred to sit since her legs were tired from running, she kept her ground. "It would be stealing."

"Do you like accusing people their thieves on daily basis?"

"Only if I have proof." She stepped over this time and snatched her papers away from his hands. He didn't do anything but his eyes glistened with amusement. Damn him to hell.

She started walking away when he called on to her. "Are you here to interview one of those suicide-attempt's patient?"

"Yes." Despite her anger, the politeness in her forced her to reply. "I need it for my book so if you'll excuse me, I still need to find—"

"I'm a suicide-attempt patient."

By instinct she let out a snort of disbelief. The guy gave her a surprised look. "You don't believe me." Somehow, the idea didn't insult him instead gave him pure unadulterated pleasure he hadn't known for a long time.

"Are you kidding me?" The guy was wearing rough jeans, a black collared shirt and his pink colored hair is messy, waxed. He look carefree and cool. He doesn't look like a patient at all.

"You do realize that you should ask that question before laughing at me. That might hurt my feelings if I'm really a suicide-attempt's patient."

"Perhaps I don't see you as one."

Delight, Lucy see, flushed on his face. He stood. He was taller than she'd expected—though she wasn't altogether sure just what she'd expected. He smelled like something soft and silky you wanted to touch in a dark room.

Casually, she took a step back. His muffler was reminding her that she was sweating buckets. "That scarf is ridiculous."

He watched her, unamused this time. "You've got a smart mouth, lady."

"Lucy," she corrected. "Lucy Heartfilia." Turning she offered her hand formally. She had this immense gut feeling she'd regret this later.

His lips curved. "Dragneel, Natsu Dragneel."

"Hello, Natsu. Now, I know it was fun messing with me," The expected mischievous grin broke on his face and she rolled her eyes. "But I really need to get on with my business. I can't really say it's a pleasure knowing you, and I know I won't be seeing you again, so . . . bye."

"Lucy."

The way he said her name made her looked back. He has his left hand on his pocket and the other wrapped around tightly on his cat. She froze. The way he said her name was . . . It's bothering her. Why does it seem she heard it before somewhere? This feeling she have now, why does it seem like she already felt it a long time ago? The feeling was . . . familiar? Wistful? Melancholic? Longing? No . . . it was something else. Something way deeper. . .

Nostalgic.

The word was so accurate it taken her aback. _Who is he? Have they seen each other before?_ She stared at his soulful green eyes. It wasn't burning with mirth anymore. His eyes changed. It became empty—a black deep abyss of emptiness. Void of anything. Blank.

Then he grinned and the looked vanished. "I hope we see each other again." Then he waved, walked away, leaving her wondering what the hell that was.

After a while, Lucy inhaled sharply and get out of—um whatever it was. That was nothing, she told herself. It was just her writer's mind. Her imagination. Part of her mind disagrees but she ignored it. She had work to do.

Lucy went directly to Levy's office. Levy's assistant, Jet let her entered the room. Impressive, Lucy thought as she studied Levy's office. The carpet was so thick and soft she could be happy sleeping on it. She knew enough to recognize the French influence in her furnishings, but not enough to pin down the period. She'd used deep sapphire blue and mustard yellow to offset the stunning white of the carpet. She could spot an antique when she saw one, and she spotted quite a few in this room. Her romantic taste was as obvious to her as the Monet seascape on the wall. The place changed enormously during three years. Levy was sipping her orange juice as she entered the room.

"It was not surprising to see you here," she told her as she handed her a can of coke and sat behind her wooden desk. "So what's the deal this time?"

Lucy took a sip. "How come you know I have a favor?"

"You usually have."

"That's a nice thing to say."

She shrugged. "It's the truth, though to be fair, I like having you here. Whenever you visit, there was something exciting that would happened."

"Well I don't know about that." She set the papers down the table for her to see. "I'm trying to write a book about the mind of a person who attempts suicide. It was not something but this interest me."

"I see." Levy read the papers then clucked her tongue at the mud at the side of the paper. "Lucy, I thought you had OCD. Or did you overcome it? This paper is filthy."

"That's a long story." One she wanted to forget, she added in her mind but didn't dare to utter it, since she know Levy would be begging for more information. She wasn't in the mood to gossip. "Can you help me? I've been a psychiatrist myself but this wasn't my specialty. And I want to hear the emotions through the victim's mouth not, from my point of view or my better judgement."

"So you want to interview a suicide-attempt patient?" She asked. Lucy nodded.

"Yes, though I know it would be troublesome."

"No. Of course not. Though we should find someone who was almost healed and was about to get discharged." Levy stood and opened the cabinets behind her. Lucy watched her root through envelopes of folders and papers. "Just to be safe for the both of you."

"Thanks." Lucy remembered Natsu Dragneel suddenly and asked Levy about him. "You know the patients name here by heart, right Levy?"

"Yes. Mostly. Almost all of them. Why?"

"Do you know a patient named Natsu Dragneel? Is he a suicide attempt patient?"

"Natsu?" Amazed, Levy twisted her head and stared at her. "You know Natsu Dragneel?"

"I just met him," Lucy nibbled on her bottom lip as answer. Levy knew she did this whenever she tried to hide something. She wasn't aware of this habit of hers. "So? Is he?"

This time Levy leaned in her desk to stare right at her eyes. She was surprised she found curiosity in them. "You're interested in him." She uttered in pure amazement. It takes much to make Lucy Heartfilia interested on people, let alone male people.

"What do you mean, interested? I was just asking."

"Yep. You're interested. No, don't deny it." Lucy closed her mouth and swallowed her protest. Levy smiled at her. "It's not going to work and you know it. The question is, are you interested enough?"

Lucy debated this for a while, then curiosity gets the best of pride. "Okay. I am. Happy?"

Levy grinned. With a satisfied nod, she took a folder from the cabinet.

"He really was interesting," Levy mumbled, she browse the papers for a second, read one and hand the whole folder to her. "Don't worry. It's not just you. Almost fifty percent of the psychology world begged to know what goes on his mind."

Lucy opened the folder and read. It surprises her to see it almost empty. There was his name. He was twenty-eight years old. We have the same age, Lucy thought. There was nothing written where he came from, who is his family or just about anything about his background.

"No family." Lucy mumbled under her breath. No one was there to visit him. That must be sorrowful.

"Yes. He was alone when the police get him here. They found him wandering around the streets," Levy explained. She sighed at the memory. "They told me he was a filthy boy and he was violent and fierce but still he was just a little boy."

"A boy?" Lucy looked up to gape at Levy. How long had he'd been here?

Levy tapped the folder. "It's written there, see? He'd been here since he's eight."

"Eight?" _Twenty years? He's been here for that long?_ Lucy stare at her in curiosity. "Who is his Doctor?"

"It's Dr. Igneel. He was an excellent doctor. I'm told he didn't give up Natsu's situation even though they labeled him as the _lost case._ I'm told they grew closer together and have an amazing bond, they are often mistaken as father and son since their relationship was equal to someone you have relation with blood with."

"The lost case?" Her eyebrow rose at that.

Levy gestured the folder. She get back to reading once again. Levy didn't cringed when she shrieked in bewilderment. It was the expected reaction.

"39 attempts to suicide?!"


	2. A warning

" _She was alive."_

" _This is your entire fault!"_

" _What?! I thought she's dead!"_

" _Quiet! This would not solve anything—"_

 _*Laughter*_

" _Can you enlighten me? Why are you laughing?"_

" _*Snickers* you guys are idiots. This was so easy."_

" _What should we do then, if you're so smart?"_

" _Let's just kill her."_

 _*Silence*_

" _*Snickers* Okay. That woman irritates the hell out of me, anyway."_

* * *

Lucy parked her car in the garage and pressed the button for the elevator. Two minutes later, she was heading in her apartment. She reached the front door, put the key in the lock, opened the door and snickered.

Every light in the apartment had been turned off.

She turned the lights on and looked around her apartment, searching for some blue-headed woman to emerge. She found the withdrawn female at the living room, sprawled in the sofa, typing at her computer.

"Hi, Juvia."

Juvia only grunted in response. Juvia lockser has been sharing the apartment with Lucy Heartfilia since Lucy's college years. They were together for at least five years and she had known Juvia by heart. She was a romance writer and an introvert through and through. She loved the rain and Lucy was used to her unusual loved of the dark.

She dropped her keys by the coffee table and sat back, stretching her arms on the top of the sofa. "It's been a long day to me."

"You came from Fairy Tail?"

Lucy glanced at Juvia in surprised. This is new, Lucy thought. Juvia didn't initiate conversations. "Yes. I visited Levy there. How do you know?"

Juvia shrugged as an answer. Lucy stood and went to the direction of the kitchen to grab some milk. When she came back she froze when she saw the worry on Juvia's eyes.

"Don't come back there again, Lucy."

The mention of her name is rare, which means Juvia is serious. She raised a confused eyebrow. "Why? Did Levy you told you something?"

Juvia's stare didn't falter. She stood and grabs her shoulder and looks straight to her eyes. Lucy resisted the urge to gulp. This is Juvia, she had no reason to be afraid of her . . . or that's what she thought. Juvia's cerulean eyes are serious and her voice is firm. "Don't go there again. Not at least for a month."

"Why?" Lucy's voice dropped to a whisper. There was something in the way their conversation is going. Like the exchange were some sort of secret and somebody's watching them.

Juvia didn't answer. She was staring straight ahead now and she was leaning her head to the side like she was listening on someone else's voice. Her expression turned horrified. She gave Lucy a disbelieving look then her expression harden into conviction then back into terrified.

"Juvia?" Lucy called out, her voice sounded shaky. Whatever it was that Juvia knows it was beginning to frighten her. "Are you okay?"

Juvia snapped out of it, ran her pale hand at her long curly blue hair, and forced a laugh. "No. Just can't sleep again. You know, same old thing."

"Try counting sheep. I bet before you get to thirty you'll be asleep."

Juvia nodded. Lucy think she was about to say something else but Juvia was restraining herself. She walked in her room leaving Lucy alone with her thoughts.

* * *

 _Natsu Dragneel has three imaginary friends. He was a pyromaniac and he attempts to burn the whole institution down twelve times and almost succeeded._

Lucy lay at her bed, staring at the ceiling, remembering the information's she read in Levy's files.

 _He was violent and he snarled at his doctors. He was rather left alone and he hates strangers. He has motion sickness and he was brilliant for thinking 39 different ways to kill one self._

 _Wrist cutting, drowning, suffocation, hypothermia, electrocution, jumping from height, fire arms, hanging, ligature compression, vehicular contact-rail, poison, drug overdose, carbon monoxide. . . and many more._

 _Who was Natsu Dragneel really?_ Lucy asked herself. _What is his past? Why did he have the impulse to kill himself? Was he a hood, a liar, a victim?_ Because she sensed he was all three, she was fascinated and determined to find out why.

* * *

Lucy knew she shouldn't be doing it.

The smart thing to do was to call Levy and tell her she won't be doing the interview with Natsu anymore. But she doesn't. She was a curious freak, so she still heads for the Hospital even with how many times Juvia told her not to.

"It's dangerous," Juvia finally said in the morning. "You don't know those people. They have sick minds for pete's sake. What if something bad happened to you?"

Lucy brushed it off with a joke and a smile. She was worried a little bit by Juvia's concern but she knows she knew exactly what she was doing. If she didn't have this interview, she knew she'd regret it someday. She has this gut feeling—and she can take care of herself, thank you very much.

Lucy was wandering down the hall of the institution when she bumped into someone. The woman has the most striking flaming red hair you'd ever seen. She was wearing glasses but behind it came an intense stare. Her eyes we're brown and she's wearing a doctor's uniform similar to Levy's. The woman studied her bluntly and Lucy resisted the urge to cringe.

"You're the writer? Levy's friend?"

Lucy's frown ceased at the mention of her friend's name. She smiled and offered her hand formally. "Yes. My name is Lucy Heartfilia."

"Dr. Scarlet." She shakes hands with her. She has this polite and distant demeanour that Lucy detested in some way she doesn't recognize. "I heard you met Natsu?"

It was none of your business, Lucy thought. She forced to keep her smile though. She was going to kill Levy later. "Yes. Have you heard it from Dr. Mcgarden?"

Erza nodded. "Yes I do." She gave her a polite smile. "I'm Natsu's Psychiatrist."

"You are?" Lucy asked in disbelief and in surprise. "Levy-chan told me it was Dr. Igneel."

Erza grimaced, the name so familiar and a name she doesn't want to hear. "He died last year."

"Oh." She didn't know what to say to that.

"So Ms. Heartfilia. Why are you here? If you didn't mind me asking."

She tried to hide her enthusiasm but Erza can still see it burning in her eyes. "Oh, this is the day I'm asking Natsu about things."

"Things?" Erza pressed. She didn't like where this is going.

"Yes. Is he available?"

"No."

"That's a shame," Lucy said absently. She was up for anything now but she can always come back tomorrow. With her renewed energy, she gave Erza a sincere smile. "Thanks for telling me. I'll be back tomorrow then. Is he free then?"

"Tomorrow?" Erza gave her a puzzled look then something clicked. "Surely you didn't think of interviewing Natsu?"

Lucy flushed, of course she had.

"Absolutely out of the question." Erza shook her head, making her red hair shimmer. "In the first place, people like you can't stay here. It is no place for a curious prying writer. This is a Hospital. People bleed here. They don't need pressing questions to remind them they're wounded."

"I'm a psychiatrist too." Lucy tossed back. She was having none of this nonsense talk because she's a writer. She knows what she was doing and excellent at it. "I know what I'm doing and I already got the permission from the institution."

"Oh? Didn't you know you need my consent first before interviewing one of my patients?" Lucy gritted her teeth. She didn't know that. Erza's eyes beamed in triumph. "You know nothing. If his condition worsens because of you, it'll be my fault."

"He was practically discharged!"

"Practically," Erza uttered, her voice softening. That took the sting out of her words somewhat and Lucy felt her anger melting away. But the stubborn part of her shouted _, 'It was just a few questions! How hard could that be?!'_ However, to Erza she said.

"Please. I need this. I . . . I don't meet anybody like him before. His story could help the world." She gave her an earnest wide-eyed look. "Please," She whispered. The chocolate brown eyes regarded her for a long moment.

"No." She said gently. "You mustn't talk to him ever again. What if he commits suicide again because of the memories?"

Lucy grimaced, she hadn't thought of that.

Erza patted her shoulder. "I'm sorry but this is the way it has to be. I have my reasons. I will walk you out." It was a dismissal, if she had ever heard one. Lucy shook her head, a little depressed now that her confidence is wearing off. She gave Erza a forced smile.

"Thank you but I think I can handle my own safety, Dr. Scarlet." Erza frowned at her; she had used her name as if it was slur.

Without another word, the two went different direction. Lucy wandered down the hall. She was deeply disappointed but she wasn't hurt that much so it surprised her to notice that she was nibbling her bottom lip. Tears came to blur her sight.

"What's this?" She muttered to herself, horrified. Was she that disappointed to cry over it? This day sucks.

* * *

She was traveling around aimlessly and she found herself beside the Sakura tree. It didn't surprised her to see him there. Actually she expected it. Natsu Dragneel stood there, his palm opened and staring at the tree as it gave away petals like it was some sort of gift from heaven. The picture it created was magical and Lucy stood there, entranced. She didn't even realize she was crying again.

Natsu sensed his stare and he was surprised to see her there, and crying, of all things. She looked so broken, so pure and so innocent that he reached his hand out at her.

"Lucy," He said softly. "Come here." Surprisingly, she obliged. She walked directly towards him, purely in instinct, she insists in her mind. Accepting a stranger's hand was beyond her understanding. She takes his out-stretched hand and she resisted the urge to sigh. The nostalgia came back with full force. She glances up at his eyes to see if there was recognition in there and suddenly she was lost. Nothing really mattered anymore except looking into those beautifully expressive eyes.

So, confidently, he took her hand between his, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. His voice was soft, compelling. "I'm going to tell you this only once, if you need me, I will come for you. I will never ever let anything happened to you, I promised." He skimmed a finger up her cheek. It was soft, cool. For a moment, only a moment, he lost the thread of his pitch. "But promise me, you would never ever see me again."

What? Lucy thought. Everything was going so fast. She was caught up in him. Part of her would have believed anything he said, done anything he asked, as long as he continued to touch her in just that way. But it was the other part, the survivor, who managed to take control. "Pardon?"

"Don't come back here ever again." He replied in a very calm, very clear voice. He drew his hands away and placed it on her shoulders instead. "I don't want to see you again."

"What—"

Her breath caught as he dipped his head towards her. The only thing she could hear was her heart pounding on her ears like it was going to explode.

It was soft and brief; then he looked deep in her eyes and kissed her again, and this time it wasn't so soft and not so brief either. She could smell him and touch his hair, and right then everything came to place. That missing piece has been filled. There is something in the kiss that makes her cry in relief. Like she'd been in pain and the pain suddenly ceased. Past and the future meet at the present and collided. Every other thing turn into ashes. On that time, it was only her, him and this kiss.

"Goodbye, Layla." He murmured in her ear, and started to walk away from her. Lucy couldn't say anything. She just looked at him and watched him walk away from her yet again.

 _Layla._ The name was uttered. Now nothing would stopped from worlds from colliding.


	3. Stalkers, Elementals and Cats

**A/N: Thanks** taboadayvonne **and** madmissY01. **You're reviews are well appreciated. This update is for people like you guys. :3**

* * *

 _"Damn, do you think Lucy will listen?"_

 _"I doubt it."_

 _"And you! I told her to warn her! Not endanger her! What are you thinking?!"_

 _"Did you just snarl at me?!"_

 _"Yes, I do, you dumbass."_

 _"You want to fight?!"_

 _"Listen now both of you. She shouldn't be here. It's too dangerous for her."_

 _"This is his fault! Why am I included?!"_

 _"Damn it, I know! I apologized didn't I?"_

 _"Dangerous for who again? For us? For Lucy? Or for him?"_

* * *

Someone was following her.

Lucy had read about stalkers, but they belonged in a different, violent world. She had no idea who could it be, who would want to harm her. She was trying desperately not to panic, but lately her sleep had been filled with unbearable nightmares, and she had awakened each morning with a feeling of impending doom. _Perhaps it's all my imagination,_ Lucy thought. _I'm working too hard. I need a vacation._

She walked into the kitchen and began to fix breakfast, forcing her mind to forget about the frightening thing that was happening, and concentrating on preparing a fluffy omelette. She turned on the coffeemaker and put a slice of bread in the toaster. Ten minutes later, everything was ready. Lucy placed the dishes on the table and sat down. She picked up a fork, stared at the food for a moment, and then shook her head in despair. Fear had taken away her appetite.

 _This can't go on,_ she thought angrily. _Whoever he is, I won't let him do this to me. I won't._

Lucy glanced at her watch. She was going to the Fairy Tail Hospital. It's been a week since her incident with Dr. Scarlet and the kiss with Natsu. She was still insistent to know the truth despite the unexpected occurrences that happened.

And the stalking started.

She can't shake off the feeling that someone is following her. Lucy is not a wimp and she can protect herself but it still creeps the living day-light out of her. _Maybe everything is all right,_ Lucy thought. _Maybe I've been imagining things._ Juvia's warning and Natsu's mysterious kiss are not helping either.

She looked around the familiar apartment, as though seeking some kind of reassurance from it. It was an attractively furnished third-floor apartment, with a living room, two bedrooms and den, bathroom, kitchen and guest powder room. Lucy walked to the front door and examined the lock. _I'll have a dead bolt put in,_ she thought. _Tomorrow._ She turned off all the lights, checked to make sure the door was firmly locked behind her and took the elevator to the basement garage.

The garage was deserted. Her car was twenty feet from the elevator. She looked around carefully, then ran to the car, slid inside and locked the doors, her heart pounding. She headed downtown, under a sky the colour of malice, dark and foreboding. Ten minutes later, Lucy Heartfilia was driving through downtown to Fairy Tail Hospital. She was still awed by the miracle of what this once sleepy little corner of Strawberry Street had become. Located fifty miles south of Borwatt, it was where the gracious strawberry farm revolution had started, and it had been appropriately nicknamed Strawberry Street.

As Lucy turned the car onto a street, she had the uneasy feeling that he was behind her, following her. _But who? And why?_ She looked into her rear-view mirror. Everything seemed normal. Every instinct told her otherwise. Ahead of Lucy was the sprawling, modem-looking institution that is Fairy Tail Hospital. She turned into the parking lot, showed the guard her identification and pulled into her parking space. She felt safe here. As she got out of the car, it began to rain.  
She went straight to Levy's office.

She face palmed her forehead when Jet informed her that Levy wasn't there. Of course. How can she forget? She was fuming. She needed Levy's help to persuade Dr. Scarlet and Natsu that she didn't mean any harm. She was wandering the hall again when, unconsciously she went straight to the direction where the Sakura tree was planted.

She stood there for a while, studying Natsu from afar. He was sitting beside the tree and he had Happy on his lap. He was stroking it, instinctively so, when his gaze landed on her.

"Geez," Lucy mumbled. He had found her, and it seems he's not too happy about it. He ran his hand on his pink hair in frustration, making it more dishevelled more than ever. When he see her he became paler than any human breathing would be. He strolled towards her and his eyes were fixed to Lucy. Her heart seemed to stopped. It was a look of an angry dragon, Lucy thought. Fierce, menacing and threatening. She contemplated running away but decided against it. She began to think then that maybe she was wrong about him. That he was a danger to her, and above all, that was why he told her to never come back.

She had no more time to ponder this, as he marched over and took her firmly by the arm.

"Natsu, I. . ." The emerald eyes glared at her, daring her to speak. Her jaw clicked shut. Then he was dragging her to the direction of the entrance. He was so strong. His hand tightened in her arm until it was painful. She tried to pull her arm away and dig her heals to the ground but he simply kept dragging her.

Natsu finally let go of Lucy a building away from the entry way. She was surprised she fell over in the mud. He bent to help her up; but she shrugged away from him and stood. Her clothes was ringing wet and smeared with mud. She was angry now.

"How dare you treat me like this? I'm not your friend to be dragged around!" He stood before her, fists clenched, eyes deathly cold, and when he spoke his voice was very quiet.

"I told you to don't ever see me again but you came back. This place is dangerous. What if something bad happened to you?"

"What? I'm fine . . ." She snapped but he interrupted her with a growl.

"You don't know anything. You mustn't be here. You don't belong here in the first place. Get back to your safe world." She was fire to his ice however.

"My safe world?" Lucy remembered the feeling that someone was stalking her and hissed at Natsu. "You know nothing! You just need to tell me a few things. You even volunteered on being my subject, right? And then the next day, your doctor was pushing me away and then you kissed me, gave me something to think about and then telling me that I shouldn't see you again. Isn't that just bullshit?!"

"Lucy, I thought you understood . . ."

"Oh, yes. I understand." She spat, her temper was running away with her now, years of control were slipping. "I understand that you're just playing with me and you really don't want me here!"

"No!" It was his turn to raise his voice now. "I would do anything to see you. Do you really think I want to send you away, out of my reach? But this is all the better and you will be safe."

"Safe?! I can take care of myself! Why, I don't need your kindness, Mr. Dragneel. We're complete strangers. It was nice knowing though that you actually CARED for someone you don't want to see anymore." She spat sarcastically.

"OF COURSE I CARE!" He roared. "I cared more than you EVER know! But now you are here and I can't keep you safe." He had not meant to say so much, she could tell, she had provoked him into it. For a moment the emerald eyes were full of pain, and then they hardened again.

"Safe from what?!" She blurted out, frustrated. She didn't understand the half thing he was saying. "Safe from what harm? I can take care of myself and I'm sure as hell that I'm not scared of you. You don't even know me!"

"You are to go home. Whether you like it or not. I won't talk to you so you rather just leave." His decision is final.

"I don't want to leave, damn it!" She shouted at the afternoon sky. Lucy prodded his chest with her finger, unaware that he towered over her. "Get this through your thick skull! You don't own me. This is my life and I'm living it. Now you maybe concern about my safety but it's me taking the risk. I want to stay. I need to stay here and be with you . . ."

She left that hanging for a moment, and when she saw his eyebrows rise in surprise, she hastily added. ". . . To know your story and talk about your thoughts." Was it just her? Or did she see a softening in his hard eyes, and perhaps a slight quirk to his lips? She gave a big sigh and her anger ebbed away, leaving her trembling with the after effects of adrenaline. "I know what I face; I'm not as fragile as I seem…"

He looked at the ground, his pink hair falling to cover his face. "I'm sorry. I just can't. . ."

She wasn't angry anymore. Sadness overwhelmed her whole being. Rejected tasted bitter in her lips. She was just tired. "You really can't. . ?"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. Just see." She gritted her teeth. "I'll come back here and I'll get that interview. Just wait and see."

Anger flash on his green eyes. "Don't come back here."

She stood her ground, her head held high and her eyes filled with determination. "You can't stop me, Natsu Dragneel."

* * *

Lucy was taking a hurried shower that night, Juvia was out and she was alone at the house, when she heard the sound. _A door opening? Closing?_ She turned off the shower, listening, and her heart pounding. Silence. She stood there a moment, her body glistening with drops of water, then hurriedly dried herself and cautiously stepped into the bedroom. Everything appeared to be normal. _It's my stupid imagination again. I've got to get dressed._ She walked over to her lingerie drawer, opened it and stared down at it, unbelievingly. Someone had gone through her undergarments. Her bras and pantyhose were all piled together. She always kept them neatly separated.

Lucy suddenly felt sick to her stomach. Had he unzipped his pants, picked up her pantyhose and rubbed them against himself? Had he fantasized about raping her? Raping her and murdering her? She was finding it difficult to breathe. _I should go to the police, but they would laugh at me._

 _You want us to investigate this because you think someone got into your lingerie drawer?_

 _Someone has been following me._

 _Have you seen who it is?_

 _No._

 _Has anyone threatened you?_

 _No._

 _Do you know why anyone would want to harm you?_

 _No._

 _It's no use_ , Lucy thought despairingly. _I can't go to the police. Those are the questions they would ask me, and I would look like a fool._

She dressed as quickly as she could, suddenly eager to escape from the apartment. _I'll have to move. I'll go somewhere where he can't find me._

But even as she thought it, she had the feeling that it was going to be impossible. _He knows where I live, he knows where I work. And what do I know about him? Nothing._

She refused to keep a gun in the apartment because she hated violence. _But I need some protection now,_ Lucy thought. She went into the kitchen, picked up a steak knife, carried it to her bedroom and put it in the dresser drawer next to her bed.

 _It's possible that I mixed my lingerie up myself. That's probably what happened. Or is it wishful thinking?_

Lucy heard a loud bang and a hushed cursed. Her whole body stiffened but strangely, she wasn't afraid, not anymore. She was angry. Whoever this is they would feel the piece of her mind. Literally. Standing up, she went to the living room. "Who's there?"

She was only greeted by silence.

* * *

Lucy Heartfilia was in her car, chilling, waiting the call from Levy. She wanted to try talking to Natsu again and persuade him to let her hear what he has to say. This is something she wouldn't give up. There's a story behind his suicide attempts and she had this feeling in her heart, his story was connected to her blurry past somehow.

She was more surprised than alarmed when her passenger door was yanked open. One look at the black zippered jacket and wraparound glasses of the hitchhiker had her shaking her head. "You aren't keeping up with fashion trends," she told him.

Gray shot a look over his shoulder. The street was clear, but it wouldn't be for long. He jumped in and slammed the door. "Drive."

"Forget it. I don't drive around with guys who wear last year's clothes. Take a walk."

Gray stuck his hand in his pocket, using his forefinger to simulate the barrel of a gun. "Drive," he repeated.

She looked at his pocket, then back at his face. On the radio the disk jockey announced a full hour of blasts from the past. Vintage Stones began to pour out. "If there's a gun in there, I want to see it. Otherwise, take off."

Gray resisted the urge to smirk. This is Layla, alright. She wouldn't be shaking and pleading like any normal person would've done. The urge to protect grew immensely. "Lucy, I don't want to have to use this, but if you don't throw this thing in gear and get moving, I'm going to have to put a hole in you."

Lucy stared at her own reflection in his glasses. _He knows her name? Is he the stalker? Whoever he is, she have this massive feeling he wouldn't hurt her_. "Bullshit," she said her diction exquisite.

Gray gave a moment's consideration to knocking her cold and running away with her unconscious. Another glance over his shoulder showed him there wasn't much time to waste.

"Look, Lucy, if you don't get moving, there are three elementals in that Lincoln coming up behind us that'll do a lot of damage to your toy here."

"Elementals?" She looked in the rearview mirror and saw the big, black car slowing down as it approached. "My father had a car like that once," she commented. "I always called it his funeral car."

"Yeah—get it in gear or it's going to be our funeral."

Lucy frowned, watching the Lincoln in her rear-view mirror, and then impulsively decided to see what would happen next. She threw the car into first and zipped across the intersection. The Lincoln immediately picked up the pace. "They're following."

"Of course they're following," Gray spat out. "And if you don't step on it, they're going to crawl into the back seat and shake hands."

Mostly out of curiosity, Lucy punched the gas and turned down Fifty-seventh. The Lincoln stayed with her. "They're really following," she said again, but with a grin of excitement.

"Can't this thing go any faster?"

She turned the grin on him. "Are you kidding?" Before he could respond, she gunned the engine and was off like a shot. This was definitely the most interesting way to spend the evening she could imagine. "Think I can lose them?" Lucy looked behind her, craning her neck to see if the Lincoln was still following. "Ever see Bullitt? Of course, we don't have any of those nifty hills, but—"

"Hey, watch it!"

Lucy turned back around and, whipping the wheel, skimmed around a slower-moving sedan.

"Look." Gray gritted his teeth. Erza will kill him if something happens to Lucy. "The whole purpose of this is to stay alive. You watch the road, I'll watch the Lincoln."

"Don't be so snotty." Lucy careened around the next corner. "I know what I'm doing."

"Look where you're going!" Gray grabbed the wheel, yanking it so that the fender missed a car parked at the curb. "Damn idiot woman."

Lucy lifted her chin. "If you're going to be insulting, you'll just have to get out." Slowing down, she swung toward the curb.

"For God's sake don't stop."

"I don't tolerate insults. Now—"

"Down!" Gray hauled her sideways and pulled her down to the seat just before the windshield exploded into spiderweb cracks.

"My car!" She struggled to sit up, but only managed to twist her head to survey the damage. "Goddamn it, it didn't have a scratch on it. I've only had it for two months."

"It's going to have a lot more than a scratch if you don't step on the gas and keep going." From his crouched position, Gray twisted the wheel toward the street and peered cautiously over the dash. "Now!"

Infuriated, Lucy stepped hard on the accelerator, moving blindly into the street while Gray held on to the wheel with one hand and held her down with the other.

"I can't drive this way."

"You can't drive with a bullet in your head either."

"A bullet?" Her voice didn't crack with fear, but vibrated with annoyance. "They're shooting at us?"

"They ain't throwing rocks." Tightening his grip, he spun the wheel so that the car bumped into the curb and around the next corner. Frustrated that he couldn't take the controls himself, he took a cautious look behind. The Lincoln was still there, but they'd gained a few seconds. "Okay, sit up, but keep low. And for Chrissake keep moving."

"How'm I supposed to explain this to the insurance company?" Lucy poked up her head and tried to find a clear spot in the broken windshield. "They're never going to believe someone was shooting at me and I've already got a filthy record. Do you know what my rates are?"

"The way you drive, I can imagine."

"Well, I've had enough." Setting her jaw, Lucy turned left.

"This is a one-way street." He looked around helplessly. "Didn't you see the sign?"

"I know it's a one-way street," she muttered and pressed harder on the gas. "It's also the quickest way across town."

"Oh, Jesus." Gray watched the headlights bearing down on them. Automatically he gripped the door handle and braced for the impact. If he was going to die, he thought fatalistically, he'd rather be shot, nice and clean through the heart, than be spread all over a street.

Ignoring the screams of horns, Lucy jerked the car to the right, then to the left. Fools and small animals, Gray thought, as they breezed between two oncoming cars. God looked out for fools and small animals. He could only be grateful he was with a fool.

"They're still coming." Gray turned in the seat to watch the progress of the Lincoln. Somehow it was easier if he didn't watch where he was going. They bounced from side to side as she maneuvered between cars, then with a force that threw him against the door, she turned another corner. Gray swore and grabbed for the wound on his arm. Pain began again with a low, insistent thud. He can't use ice magic here and Lucy will started panicking if he do. "Stop trying to kill us, will you? They don't need any help."

"Always complaining," Lucy tossed back. "Let me tell you something, you're not a real fun guy."

"I tend to get moody when somebody's trying to kill me."

"Well, try to lighten up a bit," Lucy suggested. She barreled around the next corner, skimming the curb. "You're making me nervous."

Gray flopped back in his seat and wondered why, with all the possibilities, it had to end this way—smashed into unrecognizable pulp in Lucy's Mercedes. He knew every answer to that, and even though he knew how crazy Lucy is he'll protect her with all his might.

They were on Seventh again, moving south at what Gray saw was better than ninety. As they went through a puddle, water slushed up as far as the window. Even now, the Lincoln was less than a half block behind. "Dammit. They just won't shake lose."

"Oh yeah?" Lucy set her teeth and gave the mirror a quick check. She'd never been a gracious loser. "Watch this." Before Gray could draw a breath, she whipped the Mercedes around in a tight U-turn and headed dead-on for the Lincoln.

He watched with a kind of fascinated dread. "Oh my God."

In the passenger seat of the Lincoln, the three Elementals lost courage and steered toward the curb. The speed took them over it, across the sidewalk, and with an impressive flourish, through the plate-glass window of Godiva Chocolatiers. Without slackening pace, Lucy spun the Mercedes around again and cruised down Seventh.

Dropping back in his seat, Gray let out a series of long, deep breaths. "Lucy," he managed to say, "You got more guts than brains."

"And you owe me three hundred bucks for the windshield." Rather sedately, she pulled into the underground parking of a high rise.

"Yeah." Absently, he patted his chest and torso to see if he was all in one piece. "And that wouldn't matter anymore, Lucy."

"Stop calling my name. I don't know you." After pulling into her space, Lucy turned off the ignition and turned to him. "Now. Confession time. Who are you and how do you know me?"

Before Gray had the chance to reply, someone interrupted their conversation. Lucy gaped in surprised when entered her back seat. She was still wearing her usual doctor suit but she doesn't have glasses this time. "We don't have much time. Drive, Lucy."

"What—"

"Shit, Gray! You almost got Lucy killed! What kind of a loser are you?" Natsu exclaimed as he entered the backseat and sat beside Erza. Lucy gapes at him too.

"Natsu?"

He gave her a crooked smile. "Yo, Lucy!"

"Don't _'`Yo!_ ' me!"

"Drive, Lucy."

"What are you doing here Erza?!"

"We lost the other Elementals but we really need to get out of here."

She turn to the man beside her. "And who the hell are you?!"

"Lucy talks too much."

She gape at the blue cat and inhaled sharply. "Did that cat—" Lucy glanced at Natsu, Erza and the guy beside her in bewilderment. "Just talk?"

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed.

Then everything went blank.


	4. The Prophecy

**A/N: Thanks** 2024faithrobinson2024 **for the review. I really need that push. :)**

* * *

There's a voice calling her. The voice is entrancing and spellbinding. The voice is warm. The voice is familiar.

"Lucy. . ."

 _Who are you?_ Lucy wanted to ask. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. She was in a meadow, a forest is surrounding it, the grass comes up to her knees and wild flowers are everywhere. Lucy heard the gentle flow of a stream nearby, the sun is shining in the blue sky and there's not a cloud in sight. Birds are singing, the wind blows gently making the leaves on the trees dance, and everything seems to be in slow motion. The voice calls her name again. She turned around and see someone she had never seen before.

She has long snowy hair and golden eyes—glittering golden eyes that was too unnatural to be human. She's wearing a long white dress. She have twelve different colored stones in her cheeks and she was very beautiful it was almost eerie.

Lucy found herself walking towards her. Finally she found her voice. "Who are you?"

Her lips curved, and the smile is soft and gentle. Her voice is musical when she answered, "I'm nothing and I am everything."

The answer is confusing but Lucy was too overwhelmed of her presence to care. "Your name . . ?" She gasped and whispered. She needed to know. "What is your name?"

"I have numerous titles. You have numerous honorifics also. It was nice seeing you again, Layla."

"Layla . . ." She echoed, testing it with her lips. The name is nostalgic.

"I have countless of names but you can call me, Juni."

"Juni, what do you want from me?"

"I have brought you here for I must speak to you."

"Why do you need to tell to me?"

"The twelve stars shine down from heaven to seal the darkness. A prophecy will be given and an adventure will begin." Lucy gazed at her as she talked. Juni's voice is mesmerizing. Lucy found that she can only listen. "You are heading down a hard and dangerous path. Sometimes people lie and don't tell the whole truth, but remember that sometimes it is done to protect others. Remember that everybody deserves another chance but be warned for—"

* * *

Lucy jerk awake on a queen size bed.

She panted as she breathe in for air. _Is it just a dream?_ She wondered. She sat and inhaled deeply, that's where she notice with a shock, that the room is not hers.

She studied the room she's in. There are four doors: one leads to a balcony, the other to maybe a bathroom, and the other one is to a, she assumed, a walk in closet, and the last door should leads to a hallway but she would never be sure. There is also a fireplace, a bookshelf is next to it, and two stuffed armchairs facing the fireplace with a side table between them. The room is the color of her choice; Blue walls with carpet flooring.

She heard voices outside the room. She lie backed automatically and pretend she was still sleeping. She heard the door opens and heard two voices that belongs to a male as they walk in.

"Shouldn't she be up by now?" One of them asks in whisper.

"I don't know." The other whispers.

"Man, Erza is a real monster. She didn't need to knock Lucy out."

"That woman gave me the chills."

The said woman comes in. "She should wake up soon, I want someone to stay with her." she demanded.

"Why?" One of the other guys ask.

"I don't want her to do something crazy when she wakes up." She replies. Lucy can feel them staring at her.

Two of them left the room. The one that stayed walks across the room and sits down on a chair. She continued pretending she was asleep. After a few minutes, he was still there and Lucy began to think about getting up, when someone downstairs yells something in a different language she doesn't know. The guy left the room closing the door behind him.

Lucy waited until she can't hear his footsteps any more then she get up and went to the door to the hallway. She tried to open it but it's locked. She tried the door to the balcony and it opens. Lucy go out onto the balcony and realize she was three stories up and the view is amazing there. They have a pond and the forest was behind it. Lucy found a tree next to the balcony and have an idea.

Lucy climbed down the tree. She see that the forest is not too far away. She run and then slow down to a walk. She can't afford to have someone hears her. After she take three steps, one of the guys yells.

"SHE'S GONE!" She looked back at the mansion and see Natsu, Erza and the other guy leaves it.

 _Okay, they know I am gone,_ Lucy thought. _But they don't know I am in the forest._

Erza says something and they run to the forest where she was at. "Shit." Lucy mumble to herself. She run as fast as she can, heading to the heart of the forest. The path is getting more and more overgrown and the trees are growing closer together. She slows down, trying not to trip on any of the rocks and logs scattered on the forest floor. She looked over her shoulder to see if they are close but she tripped over a log and roll down a hill. When she get to the bottom of the hill, her head hit a rock, and then she blackout.

* * *

Lucy wake up in that room again but this time it's not empty. The guy with the black hair and cerulean eyes is sitting on the far corner of the bed staring out the window. He seems to be lost in thought. Lucy sat up and it feels like someone hit her head with a sledgehammer. The guy looks at her and gets up and walks over her. "Take it easy you hit your head pretty hard."

"Who are you? What do you want? And where am I?" Lucy demanded. She take enough shit for this day. The guy smiles in assurance. Lucy realized she was grateful he didn't seem to use that particular weapon often. _Lethal,_ she thought, watching the way his lips curved, his eyes darkened. Charm floated down on him, light and effortless as a cloud.

"My name is Gray Fullbuster and we will explain all this _things,_ " He gestured at the room."After dinner."

Lucy frowned and remembered something. "Hey! About my car—"

"I could be a murderer, a rapist, a psychopath for all you know." He said it softly, dangerously. She felt a tremor move up her back and straightened.

"I don't think so." Her frowned deepened. She crossed her arms and gave him a glare. "You need to pay me back, mister."

Damn, she did have guts. Gray smiled. Really a queen indeed. "Don't you want to know why they were after me?" He asked just to change the subject.

"The bad guys?"

"The—the bad guys?" He repeated on an astonished laugh.

"Good guys don't shoot at innocent bystanders." She explained patiently. Gray stared at her in wonder. She was certain of her answer. "So, by process of elimination I figure you're the good guy."

He laughed again and dropped down beside her. "A lot of people might disagree with you."

Lucy studied him again. No, perhaps good was too concise a word. He looked more complicated than that. "Well, why don't you tell me why those three men wanted to kill you?"

"Elementals." Gray corrected gently. "They work for a man named Laxus. He wants something we've got."

"Which is?"

Gray begins to answer when he caught himself, his expression change from relaxed to depress and finally turned distant. Gray surprised her when he suddenly stood. "I will leave so you can clean up. I will be back in an hour to take you to the dining room." He says and leaves the room. Lucy heard the click of the door being locked.

Lucy sat there for a moment in shock. _What was that?_ She wondered. _They were hiding something_. She began to feel claustrophobic. Lucy walked over to the door of the balcony and try to open it. It's locked. Lucy sat down on the couch, trying to organize her thoughts. She tried to concentrate on the positive.

Since she can't get out she decided to have dinner with these guys and find out what's going on. She take a shower than go to the closet and it's full of her type of clothes. She put on whatever she wanted. Gray take so long that Lucy started to get bored. She went to the bookcase and browse to the books in there. A title caught her eye:

 _The twelve stones._

 _In the land of Fiore, Queen Juni started the time. There are six Queens and six Kings. The crown needed the twelve stones to summon the Queen of time, Juni. The stones were the lives of the leader._

 _Wait, Juni?_

Lucy stiffened when she heard a knock on the door. Gray comes in. "Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yes." Lucy said, putting the book down. She followed him downstairs and into the dining room. The people sitting at the table talking but stop when they see her. Gray sat down and she sat in the only spot left which is next to Erza. She was across Natsu and when she lifted her gaze, he was staring at her.

"Who are you _really_?" Lucy can't resist asking. She was hissing but she doesn't care. She can't understand anything and it's beginning to frighten her. Natsu cringed at her question and looked away. She glared at Erza instead. "Where am I? And why am I here?" Lucy asked.

"We will explain after dinner." Erza told her. That's when she realized she was really hungry so, even though she was irritated by their way of prolonging the confrontation, she ate in silence.

After they are all done eating, Lucy waited for someone to start explaining but nobody says anything. An awkward atmosphere descended on them. Lucy decided to break the silence herself. "Can someone please tell me what's going on?"

Everybody looks at her but Erza is the one to reply "My name is Erza Scarlet. This is Gray, and I believe you already know Natsu and Happy. You are here so we can protect you."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked in bewilderment. _Protect her from what?_

"A guy named Zeref is after you." Lucy looked at Erza in shocked.

"Why would someone be after me?"

"We don't know yet." Lucy open her mouth to ask something else but Erza interrupts her. "We need to talk to the Queen of time, Queen Juni, to know what she wanted to say."

"Queen Juni?" The woman in her dreams? Lucy gaped at Erza like she was insane. "Are you nuts? What are you even saying? Where are we? Why do you need me talk to her? She's the queen of time? What, we're on a fantasy world now? This doesn't make sense!"

"Only one in four Ceremonies is actually completed. The appropriate receptacle mind is essential. Juni's Ixcila will be attracted to someone most like she was. Someone strong, fierce, independent. Presumably female. A queen or a soldier, most likely, but I suppose she might gravitate toward a human. If such a human female existed."

"You didn't answer me!"

Erza grab a book out of nothing. She placed it in front of Lucy. Lucy blinked at her in astonishment. "What was that? Did you just grab a book in mid-air?!"

"Lucy, you're noisy." Happy yawned and flew towards Natsu's head. Lucy gapes at Happy too.

"And now he can fly?! Why didn't I think of that?!"

"Lucy, relax. You're being weird again." Natsu said, finally speaking for the first time. Lucy glared at him.

"And I'm the weird one here?!"

"Lucy, concentrate. This is important." Erza opened the book. The book was magnificent and old. The book was written in ink. "We lived alongside humanity. We went about our business unseen by mankind, because they lived in a world in a dimension close to us, but also far away. We are the Elemental mages. The mages of this world are like characters on a TV program that were separated from the Earth by a single channel." Lucy studied the pictures of the elemental mages. Some she recognizes and some she didn't know. Erza continued while she studied the book.

"Many elementals—dwarves, elves, dragons, trolls, fairies knew of you."

Lucy looked up in surprise. "Of me?"

Erza nodded and turn the next page. It was an image of a king in a red cape. "Every elemental has its leader, its king or queen. This was chosen by the Queen Juni-no-jinsei herself. The leader was designated and in return they need to take care of her Ixcila."

"Ixcila?"

"It was a part of the queen herself, and a part of their life. It was a stone, a gem that will represent their power and element. Juni-no-jinsei or Juni-sama is the Queen of time. She disappeared a long time ago. Her job is to conceal the Earth and Fiore from emerging."

"Fiore?" Lucy asked again. She felt dumb by asking but she needed to know.

Erza nodded briskly. "Yes. This world is named Fiore." Erza turned the next page and then suddenly a golden crown appeared. "The twelve royalties were bound by a covenant. They should retain the piece of their kingdom and in the same time, keep the Elementals and humans from crossing the either world's boundaries. If the covenant is broken, in anyway, we must summon the Queen to judge. The twelve Ixcila is a way of summoning the queen. We need the twelve royalty's participation in order to summon the queen."

"So in other words, we're in Fiore." Lucy clarified, calmly. Her head is spinning but she needs to keep her head cool. "You four are elemental mages and you were on this mission to summon Queen Juni . . ." But something's not clear. "And what do you need of me again?"

Erza nodded again, and this time in approval. "Great question." She turned the next page. The twelve stones shone on the page. "There are twelve royalties. The Queen of the Knights, King of the Dragons, King of the Ice elementals, Queen of the Fairies, Queen of the Knowledge, King of the Giants, Queen of the Demons, King of the Lightning beasts, Queen of the Elves, King of the Hunters, Queen of the Mermaids and the Queen of the cosmos."

Lucy waited. Erza closed her eyes; a head ache surely was coming. She hopes Lucy Heartfilia won't fall on hysterics. She stared right at her eyes. "We think you are the Queen of the cosmos and you have one of the Queen's Ixcila."

A second passed. A minute, then realization hit.

"What?!"

* * *

"We call on Queen Juni!"

All five of them are standing and Lucy was starting to feel the overwhelming urge to run away again. Natsu was watching her though and she had this deep gut feeling if she tried to run way again they'll bind her with chains. She didn't believe everything they said. Aside the fact that she doesn't know where she was, she decided to stay to let them show her a proof of their words and gave them the leisure of the doubt.

They were calling on Juni-No-Jinsei or Juni as Lucy preferred to call her. They need assurance that Lucy was really the Queen of the Cosmos and if she really did have the Ixcila of the queen. Erza was expert at magic spells, so they say. Lucy still doubted the truth of all of this. _Maybe they are all just nutcase._ Lucy thought. Her eyes skimmed Erza's armour, Gray's tattoo in his chest and Natsu's flying cat. _Or maybe I'm the nutcase._

"We call on Juni-No-Jinsei!" Erza yelled at nothing, drawing Lucy's attention back. She stared at the book in Erza's hands, completely transfixed. The book began to glow in her surprise. It was glowing then sometime later it would dim. She blinked in disbelief but the book is still glowing. _I'm not imagining it!_ Then the glowing and the dimming grew faster. In and out. In and out. In and out. Lucy's heartbeat matched the new rhythm. "We. Call. On. Juni. No. Jinsei," Erza wailed.

"If I see one single zombie I am—" Gray muttered under his breath then stopped.

The cave floor jerked under Lucy's feet. She stumbled forward and landed on my knees in front of Erza.

"The receptacle has been chosen!" Erza shouted. She reached out and put her hand on my head. "Will you accept being one with the anima of Juni-No-Jinsei?"

 _What? What? She chose me_? _That couldn't be right._

Lucy surprised herself by answering, "Yes."

* * *

"It's late we should get some sleep. Lucy, I will walk you to your room."

Erza walks Lucy to her room in silence. The ritual is a failure. They didn't have the chance to talk to Juni through Lucy. After Lucy uttered her agreement, nothing happened. They waited for an hour but still nothing's happening. Erza calls it a night and Lucy's doubt began to rise again.

When they get to her room, Erza opens the door for her. She leans against the doorway. "You're not going to run away again, are you?"

"No." Lucy answered, walking pass her.

"Okay. Good night—"

Lucy screamed suddenly, clutching her hand in her head. She feel on her knees. Erza quickly tended her. "Lucy! What's happening?!" Lucy continued to scream. Someone was talking to her. Someone was trying to reach her.

Lucy shut her eyes but it let her see—no, it _forced_ her to see—her clothes as they caught fire, and her skin as it began to redden, and her long golden hair as it was transform into a burning halo. She did not just caught fire—it was as if every cell in her body changed into its own tormented supernova. She felt as if she was melting, and in the midst of her agony, she can hear someone calling her.

"Lucy. . ."

This was beyond pain. This transcended all sufferings. This was hell.

Something, a sound that not belongs to her, made her open her eyes.

Then Lucy reaches out at the nearest vase and breaks it. She grabbed a piece of the glass and hurts herself, slashing a shallow but bloody wound on her arm.

"Lucy don't—Lucy, Stop it!"

Lucy didn't hear her. Erza can't stop her. She was so strong. She pushed Erza away and with a lightning speed, writes something on the floor with her blood. Erza stared at her in shock. What's happening? She crawled slowly towards her and saw that she was indeed writing something on the floor. Erza read the messy scribble behind Lucy's shoulder.

 _Two souls, two lives have fought for the worlds, longer than you've known._

 _One is trained with powers, the other one unknown._

 _The power of the first life will lose something in deep value._

 _The other one will burn in fire and will not breathe his last._

 _Peace will spread to their hearts, if their choices are right._

 _Life will fly, if choices are made wrong._

 _Eight shall start this endeavour; one will fall by the way, called by a greater need._

 _One shall find her true place and one shall make the greatest sacrifices._

 _It will shake the other one's faith and be a desperate one._

 _While the other one would be clouded with past and would break their trusts._

 _They will continue, with five wounded hearts._

 _By the way, one will protect with all his might, the other one been tricked and slowing them down._

 _Lies are something that can kill._

 _A mystery is something if you want to find the key._

 _So there are five, but there will be only two._

 _And so a deadly war will begin._

 _Between a Dragon with burning passion and the Ghost with a beating heart._

 _The options are numerous, the choices are hard._

 _They will do this together with a foot in the dark._

 _At the end of all, however she will have to decide between one to hundreds of lives._

 _One is sacrificed for twelve._

 _The last wish has its own power and it will never fail._

 _The time would start moving once again._

Lucy stopped moving then and fainted. Erza pulled her on her lap. Briskly, she wrapped gauze around her upper arm until the wound was covered. She snipped off tape, secured it, and then gave it a final pat. Gray, Natsu and Happy stormed in the room in haste. "What happened—" They stopped when they see Lucy's bloodied bandaged arm and the writings on the floor.

Erza glanced up at them in worry. "Juni-No-Jinsei gave us a prophecy."


	5. The Queen of the Knight

"I want to be a Knight."

"Is that so?" Jellal said in suspicion. He thought Erza would follow his father's business and be a business man.

"Yes. Someone taught me how to handle a sword." Erza grinned at Jellal and patted the hilt of her sword in her side proudly. "She gave me this sword."

"Cool!"

The sun was rising and the birds started to sing. Erza cursed in alarm. "Oh, geez! I forgot the time!" She waived at Jellal as she ran to the direction of Fairy Tail hill. "Talk to you later!"

* * *

She wondered up the hill and stopped dead in her tracks. There were enormous Sakura trees everywhere. She hid behind the nearest one on her left. It was an intrusion, she knew it was, but somehow she could not help but watch. Layla was practicing. The sword she was using was a strange golden color. It seemed to absorb the light rather than reflect it. It whirled around her as she tried different guard positions and practiced footwork. Erza knew nothing about fencing and swordplay _yet_ but what she was doing looked good to her.

She was so absorbed in her spying that she did not notice the slight smile cross her face, or the knowing look in her eyes. All of a sudden she whipped round towards her and in a movement too quick for her to see, the sword flew at her and embedded itself in the tree she hid behind. She squeaked and jumped into the open.

"You're early," Layla hissed, she was still breathing hard, chocolate brown eyes narrowed at her.

"You told me to come early." Erza blurted out; her voice was high and unsteady. "I'm sorry I spied, but I did not wish to disturb you." She arched her eyebrows. Layla grinned and threw a wooden staff at her which she caught.

"All right, Miss Knight." Layla twirled her heavy staff. "We start with the staff to build on your reflexes before you handle a more dangerous weapon." She yanked her sword out of the tree with such ease it may as well have been stuck in butter.

"This is a ShinSakuto." She held the sword out for Erza's inspection. The golden metal winked at her menacingly, it looked like a standard Japanese sword to her. Long, curved and sharp down one side. "It has an itame with mokume forging pattern." Layla continued excitedly. "The tempering pattern is midare in nie style, the blade is 29 inches long the nakago is 8 inches. The mountings are shirasays style. It took me 2 years to forge."

"It's fantastic," she said in amazement. Layla smiled down at her and ruffled her hair. Erza glance up at her and grinned. Layla had a cloud of blond hair around pretty, heart-shaped face, and eyes of burning stars. Her lips had a deep, Kewpie doll curve and unpainted. She was a beauty.

"It may not seem like much now, just a pointy bit of metal. As you progress you will appreciate such things." She sheathed the sword with a crooked grin. "Never touch it, this sword is designed for me, the magic in it will turn on anyone else trying to handle it."

She nodded not doubting her.

"Now." She said all business. "Let's see if we can apply our minds to some stances."

She showed her the stances and she had to copy. When she stumbled or held the staff incorrectly she would tap the end of her staff with hers, making the wood vibrates painfully in her hands. She persevered however and did not lose her temper, mainly because her criticism was gentle and she gave her much encouragement. Layla stopped her when she saw Erza was tired. She was sweating profusely and was red in the face.

"Are you okay?" Layla asked after a while.

Erza grinned brightly at her. "One more!"

* * *

That night when Erza got home her parents we're waiting for her at her room. Her hopes grew high. She was happy and she would do her best today, but their faces stopped her.

Erza's mom pointed at her accusingly. "How dare you tell everyone that you wanted to be a Knight? A girl like you? Do you think you could bear the training? Or you wanted to spread a wildfire gossip to destruct us? We gave you everything you need and THIS! YOU RUINED OUR REPUTATION!"

"M-mom, I—" I tried to explain but she cut me off.

"I always knew you are just a disappointment but oh my GOD! What will my friends say?!" Rosemary sighed, looking at her angrily. "Don't you know you should be grateful that I had you? Without you OUR LIVES would have been different! We could be richer! But what did we get? A girl dreaming of becoming a Knight instead of marrying a rich man? You didn't think of us, don't you? You only think about yourself!"

Erza's teeth had begun to chatter "I-i'm sorry. . ."

"Rosemary, get out."

Rosemary was dumb-struck when his husband said that. "Kenneth . . ."

"I said, get out!"

Rosemary nodded in panic and left the room. Kenneth turned the security lock and fixed the chain. He then looked at me with a glint of fury as he asked her. "Do you really said those things? Do you really not intend on following my footsteps in trading and just wanted to be a hypocrite Knight instead?"

His voice, pleasant, sent ice skidding down her back. "I-im really sorry Dad! I d-didn't mean that—"

"Good. That's good. Now, why are you spreading some news like that, Erza? Do you really think that way?"

"N-no." Fear was storming through Erza's system so that she could only whisper. "It was a m-mistake. . . I only tell Jellal that. . ."

"Of course, you tell your best friend. Did that gossips came from you?" When Erza nodded, her Dad let out a long, gusty sigh. Then his hand snaked out, quick as a whip, and smashed across her face. Blood filled her mouth as she slammed into a table, sending a lamp crashing to the floor.

He's doing this again. . .

"You've been a very bad, bad girl Erza."

Through a haze of pain Erza saw him coming towards her. And she began to scream. He kicked her full in the stomach, cutting off the screams and her air. When she tried to curl up, he began to hit her, slowly, methodically.

This time, she fought back. Her first blow glanced off his chin, but surprised her enough to give her time to crawl away. She heard pounding on the door, a demand to open it. Erza managed to struggle to her feet and take a watery step toward the sound, when he caught her again.

"So you are playing rough? What, you're proving now you can be a Knight Elemental?" He began to pull her with her hair, raking his fingers through her hair and pulling. Erza's struggles only drove him on and he push her deliberately. She would be punished this time, in a way she would never forget.

Erza heard someone pleading, begging, promising. She wasn't aware it was her own voice. She hardly felt the blows as he continued to beat her. This time he used his fists, forgetting everything but the need to pay back.

"Did you think you could disobey me, you little hellion? Did you think I'd let you run away for defying me? I'll kill you first!"

Erza's body was a jelly of pain. Even the effort to breath cut through her like dozens of dull-edged knives. It had never this bad before. Even at its worst her Dad beat her but it had never been this bad. Groggy, she grabbed a chair leg and tried to haul herself up. Wet with her own blood, her fingers slipped off.

She stopped fighting. There was no strength left to hold him off. She felt him lift her, then send me flying. Something snapped in her chest and she screamed again against the sickening pain. Half concious, she lay sprawled.

"Bitch. I gave you everything and you dare to defy me? Damn you!" He was panting as he started for her again. Dimly Erza saw that blood was running from his nose. His eyes we're glaze and wild. She knew, looking at his face, that he had crossed some line. This time it wouldn't be enough. He would pound on her until she was dead. Weeping, she tried to crawl.

The snap of his belt made her flinch. Her sobs rose up into wails as she pulled herself across the rug. He continued to snap the belt, getting harder and harder. She collapsed. The jolt screamed through her ribs until her vision wavered.

She heard someone calling, shouting her Dad's name. Splintering wood. Was that the sound of splintering wood or was her body just breaking in two? The first slash of the belt across her back had her arms flinging out. Her fingers brushed something cold.

 _Use me._

A voice was inside her head. She glanced at the sword in her hand. Was it talking to her?

 _I'll protect you._

I need you.

 _I'm here._

Choking on sobs, she pushed herself over. She saw her father's face as he raised the belt again.

Before Erza could stabbed his Father's heart with the sword, a hand stopped her.

Everything stopped. Every movement. Every sound. Everything went blank and suddenly she was back at the Fairy Tail hill again. The moon big and glaring down at her. Her eyes went wide.

Layla's hands were over hers. Peeling off her white robe, she wrapped it around her. Erza's clothes were thorn into bits and soaked with blood. One eye was already swollen shut. The other was glassy in shock. "Give me the sword now, baby. You don't need it anymore. You're okay." Layla shifted so she can see her face. Taking a scrap of what had been her blouse, she dabbed at the blood. "It's Layla. Do you hear me, Erza? It's Layla. It's going to be okay. I'm sorry I was too late."

Erza's breath began to hitch violently. Shudders wracked her. Layla gathered her close, rocking while her body shook. The embrace is warm and comforting. Erza's hand was limp when Layla slipped the sword from it. She didn't cry. Layla knew the sound Erza made as she held her couldn't be called grieving. She moaned, low animal moans that died into whimpering. She glance up at Layla.

"Who are you?"

Layla put her hand on Erza's forehead and started to heal her. "I'm the Queen of the Cosmos. And do you know who you are . . . ?"

Erza glanced at her sword. Thank you. I owe you my life.

 _And I owe you mine._

"I'm . . . Erza Scarlet." She gasped and her voice waivered. Layla let go of her and Erza crawled to where the blade is. She hugged it to her chest and she looked at Layla once again, and this time her eyes we're filled with strength. "I'm Erza scarlet." She repeated, her voice firm and strong. She raised her sword in the air. "The Queen of the Knights."

* * *

Lucy surfaced at dawn.

Erza was slumped in the chair beside her bed, her chin on her chest. One of her hand covered hers. She had only to move her fingers to have Erza jerking awake.

"Hey." Erza smiled, tightening her fingers around Lucy's. Her voice was rough with fatigue. "Good morning."

"How . . ." Lucy closed her eyes again, impatient with the thin whisper. "How long?"

"You just slept through the night, that's all. Any pain?'

The concern gave her warmth. Lucy shook her head. "You? Are you okay?"

"You scared the shit of me."

"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. Did I hit my head again?"

"No." I said, smiling a little. "It's just that when Natsu carried you, he complained that you were real heavy—"

"That annoying guy." She pouted and Erza stared real hard at her. Juni-no-jinsei went to Lucy's body and that means she really was the Queen of the Cosmos. And suddenly, Erza was crying. She can't lose Layla. She can't fail to protect her. Not again. _Not this time._

Lucy could feel Erza's grief building, degree by degree. She doesn't know what to do. She fail her arms in the air in panic. "Erza—Why are you crying—Oh my God, please stop crying . . . oh shit . . . I don't know what to do." Lucy cringed in embarrassment. "Okay. I'm sorry I ran away. I won't do that. I'm sorry for not trusting you. I'm sorry for judging you so please just don't cry. . ."

"Can I hugged you?" Erza asked suddenly and then immediately reddened. _She just can't hugged Lucy! They're strangers for pete's sake!_

Though it was awkward Lucy only smiled gently and the smile hit Erza real hard. _She have the same smile. . . "_ Of course."

Erza wrapped her arms around her and Lucy leaned forward and rested her forehead against her chest. The embrace is warm and heartfelt. It was warm, Erza thought longingly. Familiar and nostalgic. Erza pulled away and smiled brightly at her. "I'm grateful for your kindness, Layla."

On that point, Lucy didn't notice that the name wasn't hers. In that time she felt it belong to her. She smiled warmly at Erza. "It's nothing."

That's when the said annoying guy came in.

"Erza, did Lucy wake up already—Lucy you're awake!"

"No, shit. Sherlock." Gray muttered beside Natsu, the latter ignored him though. He went straight to Lucy. Erza was saying about traveling to Hargeon the next morning but Natsu wasn't listening. He didn't give hang about tomorrow. Only tonight. The way Lucy looked, the way she smelled, the way she smiled at him.

Natsu both surprised Gray and Erza when he held out his arms to Lucy. "Come here." When she was in there Natsu found out he couldn't let go. In the hours that had passed, he'd thought he'd calmed himself. But now, holding her, it all crashed down on him.

He almost lost her.

And as Erza watched, she thought that she almost lost Layla too, and now she vowed.

The Queen of the Knights would sacrifice her life just to protect Lucy Heartfilia.

"You're all going to die!"

Erza, Natsu, Lucy, Happy and Gray looked up. There's a voice in their heads and they all hear it. A light blinded them all and Erza can hear everyone's screams as she staggers in her feet.

To save the just is the Knights glory. She would save everyone no matter what it takes.


	6. Caitshelter and Fairies

An explosion of light so intense Lucy could actually see through her own hand. She could see Natsu's teeth inside his head!

Lucy was thrown against the ceiling. She fell to the floor and rolled, out of control. Erza landed on top of Lucy, knocking the wind out of her. The room was spinning. Lucy's eyes were filled with balls of light, like suns inside her own head.

Spinning . . . spinning . . . spinning . . .

And with each turn Lucy was thrown hard. Into Gray. Into Natsu. Happy batted his wings wildly, trying to get some control. It was like they had all been tossed into a washer on spin cycle. Then, with a sickening lurch, the room came upright. There was a floor again. And a ceiling.

FLASH!

I saw green. Green on green, rushing up at me. And then something bright explode. And for a while, Lucy didn't see anything at all.

HOO! HOO! HOO! HOO! HOOHOHOHO-HOHO! HAH! HAH!

KEEYAAAH! KEEYAAAH! KEEYAAAH!

Lucy woke up.

Lucy woke up very suddenly.

KEEYAAAH! KEEYAAAH! KEEYAAAH! YAHA-HAHAHAH! Her head hurt, and the screaming noises didn't help. Her back hurt, too. She was lying on the ground. On mildewed, rotting leaves. Trees towered over her. Insanely tall trees. Ferns dipped down to tickle her face. There was a root or something under her back, which explained the back pain.

But she was alive.

KeRAW! KeRAW! KeRAW!

VrrEEET! VrrEEEET! VrrEEEET!

Lucy sat up quickly. But that sent a spear of pain through her head. "Oh, man," she groaned. Then she saw the bug. The bug on her lap. The big, giant, MONSTER bug. She guessed it was some kind of beetle. It had yellow and black stripes and something that looked almost like curved antlers. She swear it was six inches long. Or at least three inches. It would have been beautiful, if it hadn't been on her.

"AAAAAHHH!" She yelled and brushed the beetle away.

Then, she felt the itchy, crawling feeling on her leg. Ants! There were a dozen ants climbing up her right shin. She slapped at her leg till she was sure they were gone. She climbed to her feet. She felt woozy and confused. _Where was I? Where were the others?_

Lucy looked around. Green. Green everywhere. She mean, _everywhere_. She was in a jungle. She knew that for sure. She'd never been in a jungle before, but there was no doubt in her mind. Maybe it was the monkeys and birds screeching at an insane volume all around her in the trees that gave it away. Maybe it was the creepers and vines. Maybe it was a flash of an amazing red-and-blue bird flitting through the branches. Maybe it was the fact that beetles really shouldn't be as big as that beetle had been.

It was the jungle, all right.

She decided to yell for the others. "Hey! Hey! Natsu! Erza!"

It was like her voice had no power. The sound was just swallowed by the trees and ferns and bushes.

"Okay, get a grip, Lucy. Try to remember. You were in the room with the others and someone yelled in your mind that he will kill all of you and something flashed and what the heck I'm going insane."

She glanced around at the solid wall of green in every direction. The air was steaming with humidity. And the smells of overly sweet flowers and tropical rot made her feel like she was walking past some department store perfume counter.

Then she spotted a tree where the top half had been snapped off. She started walking, trying to get a better angle on the broken tree. She saw a second tree, splintered. She began to notice what looked like a tunnel plowed through the dense foliage.

A tunnel plowed through the trees and foliage should lead to the others.

HOO! HOO! HOO! HOOHOOHOOHOO! HAH! HAH! HAH!

The jungle was quieting down a little, but there was still some fairly crazy screeching from up in the tall trees. The jungle animals sounded annoyed. Probably they didn't appreciate someone crashing into their home. And they didn't like her looks, either.

The jungle floor was surprisingly clear. Down at foot level there wasn't much growing, just dead leaves. But at face level there were vines and bushes and ferns, all slapping her in the face as she pressed on.

Suddenly she came to a clearing. A hole in the canopy where a tree had fallen. Bright sunlight shone down through the gap. And it was as if every species of plant life you could imagine was crowding into that sunny spot. She found myself facing an incredible wall of vegetation: a dozen types of brilliant flowers, mosses so green they didn't seem real, small vines wrapped around bigger vines wrapped around tree trunks.

It was the greenest place on Earth . . . or _Fiore_ in this matter. There were even plants growing out of the smooth trunks of tall trees.

She trudged on, back into the shadows of the forest, and when she looked up, she could no longer see the tunnel through the foliage.

That's when she started to get really scared.

She was in a jungle. And jungle isn't like forest, where you can usually see for hundreds of feet in any direction. Jungle presses in close around. It's like being buried in green.

Ger-AK! Ger-AK! AKAKAKAK!

"Natsu! Erza! Gray!" Lucy yelled, feeling the edge of panic.

"How about Happy?" A voice said.

Lucy looked up and saw nothing. Then she noticed him swooping down toward her from the high branches of a tree.

"Happy!" She yelled. She waved. Of course, he'd already seen her, obviously. But she was massively relieved. So she waved again.

The cat with angel wings seemed almost bland, boring in the context of this jungle. He landed on a rotting, moss-encrusted log.

"Happy! The others?"

"Everyone is alive," He said. "It took a while to find everyone, though. I think we must have spun around a few times tearing through the trees. Gray ended up practically on top of this snake. This extremely large snake."

"Where are we?"

"I don't know," Happy said. "But I'm pretty sure this ain't home. Come on, follow me. It's not far."

Lucy followed Happy, pushing and shoving and fighting her way through forest that seemed determined to stop her. She was dripping with sweat and gasping in the thick air. Then, a clearing. Not a natural clearing, but one created by the crashed humans.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled and ran over to give her a hug. He had a nasty cut on one hand, which he'd bandaged with strips torn from his T-shirt.

"You're alive," Erza observed. "For now," she added darkly.

"I told you she'd be okay," Gray said.

"I'm glad you're all right." Natsu said.

"I'm glad I'm all right, too," Lucy agreed. She looked around the place. "Now . . . where are we?"

"Where is easy," Erza answered. "Rain forest. Not Magnolia, because I've seen monkeys with prehensile tails. You know, tails they can swing by. Most likely, we're in Caitshelter. Either the south rain forest, or the north rain forest."

"I'm betting North," Gray said brightly. "I'm also taking bets on whether we live long enough for me to collect on bets."

Lucy laughed. "You're always such an optimist, Gray." She turned back to Erza. "So. Caitshelter, North rain forest, huh?"

"Like I said, the question of where we are is fairly easy."

Lucy was still in suspicion. Erza wasn't in her usual aura of confidence, like she was keeping something terrible and she was afraid she would scared them. "Erza, why do I have the feeling there's something you're not telling me?"

Erza finally sighed in defeat. It would be best if they know the truth. "I used my ShinSakato and fired simultaneously and we intersected the lightning, and that's when we created what we call an Anima."

"A what? Anima? What's that?"

"We blew a small hole in space-time. And were drawn in through that hole."

"English, please," Lucy warned. "Plain English, please."

"We were blown through time, Lucy," Erza explained. "We aren't where we want to be. And we aren't when we want to be."

Lucy stared at her. "Did we go forward or back? Are we in the past or the future?"

"Yes," Erza said. "It's definitely one of those two choices."

"So let me just summarize here. We are probably in the Caitshelter rain forest. And we are either in our own past, or in our own future. Happy can't fly us all out of here. We have no way of knowing if there's a city or town or even a road near here." Lucy looked around at my friends. "Anyone have anything to add?"

"I know that it is one twenty-two p.m.," Gray said. "I just don't know what day or year it is."

Lucy looked at Erza for an explanation. "Ice elementals have the ability to keep track of time naturally. Like some kind of internal clock. It's useful. Of course, it's more useful if you know what century you're in."

Happy held up his hand, like he was in school. "The rain forest is full of poisonous snakes, poisonous insects, poisonous plants, and poisonous frogs."

"Excuse me?" Natsu asked in excitement. "Poisonous frogs? Did you say poisonous frogs?"

"Plus, there is at least one large predator: the jaguar."

"Love their cars," Natsu said.

"Right now we have no food and no water," Erza added helpfully. "Also, no weapons. Except my ShinSakuto. Magic doesn't work here."

"Why do we need weapons?" Natsu asked. He punched his fist on his palm. "If something came out we can just beat it with our fists and Happy can fly us out, I know he can."

"I don't know, Natsu. . ." Happy muttured.

"None of us can use magic and well everything around here have magic," Erza pointed out. "Realistically, Happy can't fly more than twenty or thirty miles an hour at best. And we could be a thousand miles from nowhere."

"Besides," Gray said glumly. "What are we supposed to do? Find a town, make a collect call to Magnolia and tell them we're in Caithshelter? 'Hey, guys, guess what? I'm in North rain forest. Or maybe South. Could you come pick me up?'"

"If there even is a town," Erza said. "If there even are lacrimas. If our country have been born yet, or are still alive. You're kind of missing something — we may be in the year two thousand b.c. Or . . . we might be in the year ten thousand a.d."

"Erza, what's the deal with this Anima?" Lucy asked her. "I mean, is there some way to undo it?"

Erza didn't answer. Instead, Lucy noticed her eyes turning slowly to her right. "We are not alone," Erza muttured.

Everyone shot a glance in the direction Erza was looking. Something moved! Lucy had a fleeting impression of a shoulder, arm, and head.

"A fairy," Erza finally conclude. "I didn't see it very well. But it was watching us."

"Swell," Natsu said. "Happy?"

"I'm on it," he said, opening his wings and flapping away through the trees.

"As for the Anima, I . . . all I know is what it is. It's a rip in space-time.

"Yeah, you told us that," Gray said.

"I think . . ." Erza hung his head. "Lucy, we studied the Anime effect in school. But there was a game later that day. And I was thinking more about the game than class. Also, there was Jellal who distracted me. "

Gray laughed. "Erza, are you telling us you were too busy flirting with some boy to pay attention to the lesson?"

Erza glared at Gray. He shut his mouth closed. Then she said, "I don't exactly know whether you can reverse an Anima. I remember some things, but not everything."

"I'm thirsty," Natsu announced. "Whatever else we're going to do, we have to find water. And food. Don't forget the food."

"The food's only you cared about, flame-head." Gray teased. Natsu snarled at him.

"Hey! If you starve to death don't blame me!"

Erza suddenly snapped her fingers. "Oh! I forgot! Caitshelter, right? Why don't we visit the Queen of the Fairies?"

They all looked at Erza, blanked.

"Are you sure?" Gray asked, giddy now that maybe this isn't a lost case after all. Erza nodded her head in assurance.

Natsu was scratching his chin. "I thought the Queen of the Fairies hate Elementals from Magnolia?"

They all looked at Natsu, blanked.

"She do?" Erza asked, her shoulders dropping now that the confidence is detouriating.

"Yes. I thought you all knew and that's the reason why you're all on hysterics. Caitshelter is obviously a dark place."

Silence followed. Erza is the one who break it.

"So maybe, in addition to everything else, we have the Queen of the fairies and a load of Fairy warriors to worry about," Erza said. She sighed. "Someone please give me some good news."

"Well, it's still daylight," Natsu said, putting on a big phony grin. "When night falls, then we'll be —"

"Natsu! Duck!" Happy yelled.

For once in his life, Natsu didn't stop to think about it. He ducked. And even as he ducked, he saw the face. He saw the arm. He saw the spear.

It was coming straight at him.

Right for his face.

The spear went over his head and flew on harmlessly into the bush.

Happy flapped wildly into the air. "I shouldn't have been resting," he berated himself. "I should have been in the air."

Lucy was too weirded out to worry about Happy. "Shit. This 'Queen of the Fairies' was really angry at us!"

"Three Fairies, Happy reported. "They almost look like they might be kids. They're hauling butt out of here. Which is what we better think about doing, too."

"Why?" Natsu demanded indignantly. "We can handle some kids with spears."

"Forget the kids. I see a group of twenty . . . maybe thirty grown up Fairies. They're tearing up the forest and coming this way!"


End file.
